It's strange — the new Animal Collective single is probably the most minimal thing the band have conjured to date, but it takes the fixation with nature that's been there since the group's inception to its most extreme conclusion, Avey's voice rising up in grief as lyrics "mourn the loss . . . of all the old growth." Nostalgic fits have long peppered the AC back catalogue and the verses of 'Arboreal Lament' are buried in whimsy's condiment; until the beat drops at about 1:30 and the whole thing kicks off — as it did in Barcelona this weekend for the Domino-signed act's stunning set at Sonar.

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